This with Buffalo having beaten Montreal three times this season (once losing in a shootout). Maybe Buffalo just beat the Habs again, because one gets the distinct impression that Marc Bergevin may have mistakenly gotten the wrong Sabre (twice, in two separate deals, no less).

Montreal Canadiens: Flynn or Lose?

Granted, Flynn does have a career-high 17 points (five goals) in 54 games this season, which arguably translates to roughly 80 on a team that isn’t Buffalo. Mitchell meanwhile has six goals and seven assists in 51 games.

However, when reports indicate that the price of power forward right-winger Chris Stewart (11 goals, 25 points) dropped drastically to a fourth-round pick, and the Habs gave up a fifth in 2016 for Flynn (prospect Jack Nevins and an unspecified pick for Mitchell according to TSN), one has to wonder if the lines didn’t get crossed between Bergevin and Sabres GM Tim Murray.

Of course, Stewart ended up going to the Minnesota Wild for a second-round pick in the 2017 draft and Montreal still does not have a legitimate first-line right-winger, with Brendan Gallagher admittedly performing well in the interim in that spot. However, Gallagher is a first-liner like April in Montreal is spring… in name only. It gets hot and then cold on a dime, with snow showers far from out of the question.

After Montreal acquired third-liner Devante Smith-Pelly (who can switch to the left side) from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a top-six-forward type in Jiri Sekac, the hope was Montreal would do something to address their overwhelming need to improve its offense. The Habs haven’t.

Montreal has admittedly scored 17 goals in its last four games, but three of those have been empty-netters. The Habs also still have the 18th-ranked offense in the league, with only one Eastern Conference playoff team below them in the eighth-seeded Boston Bruins.

Of course, if the Habs earn first place in the conference and then draw the Bruins, that problem is mitigated at least for the first round. But what comes after that? Assuming, of course, that Montreal is able to beat a hungry Boston side eager for revenge following their earlier-than-expected second-round exit last year.

Flynn and Mitchell, who hails from Montreal’s south shore, gives the Habs some depth up the middle. However, now on a team with David Desharnais, Tomas Plekanec, Lars Eller, Jacob de la Rose, Alex Galchenyuk, and Manny Malhotra (who is still valuable taking faceoffs), they may end up playing more on the wing (if at all).

From the Oil, into the Fire

Petry isn’t meant to be an afterthought here. After all, he was TSN’s top-ranked piece of trade bait on the day. And Bergevin did do a good job getting him for just a 2015 second-round and conditional fifth-round pick (the latter of which will become a third-rounder if the Habs make it to the third round).

Petry, a right-handed shot, goes from the worst team in the Western Conference to the best team in the East and can help the Habs out on their second pairing opposite Nathan Beaulieu (P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov seem entrenched on that first pairing).

The Habs now have six offensive/puck-moving defensemen (with 1:09 per game, Petry played the third most among Oilers defensemen on the man advantage) on the roster. Of course, they’ve had five for most of the year and still have been unable to improve what is now the 25th-ranked power-play unit (16.5%) all that much.

Now Gonchar can likely play consistent third-pairing minutes for the rest of the season, which is always a plus, maybe even opposite country-mate Alexei Emelin once he gets healthy. Both are left-handed shots, but Gonchar had been playing with the left-handed Beaulieu.

Current-Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry – (flickr/bridgetds)

A potential defensive corps made up of Markov, Subban, Beaulieu, Petry, Emelin, and Gonchar is pretty impressive, with each player slotted in on the pairing they arguably belong based on their level of play.

Of course, Petry being Edmonton’s best defenseman is almost an oxymoron, especially with his plus/minus -25 ranking the lowest compared to Edmonton’s other blue-liners. But he’ll now have the benefit of playing in front of Carey Price. So, who knows just how good Montreal will make out here?

Petry’s situation best epitomizes Montreal’s as a whole. He’s not perfect (nor are the Habs, especially without having addressed their need for extra offense today), but he and Montreal are in a good place right now, with a shot at earning the league’s best record as early as tonight (at San Jose at 10 p.m. Eastern).

Even if they fail to capture that title as the league’s best team, so be it. Bergevin did a great job today, just not the best he could have. It fits. Hopefully Flynn and Mitchell will too.

]]>http://thehockeywriters.com/montreal-canadiens-get-petry-not-much-else/feed/0How the Montreal Canadiens Stole Jeff Petryhttp://thehockeywriters.com/how-the-montreal-canadiens-stole-jeff-petry/
http://thehockeywriters.com/how-the-montreal-canadiens-stole-jeff-petry/#commentsMon, 02 Mar 2015 17:59:17 +0000http://thehockeywriters.com/?p=154847In the week leading up to trade deadline day, teams were overpaying for players left and right. But Habs GM Marc Bergevin managed to acquire a top four defenceman in Jeff Petry from the Edmonton Oilers for only two picks that didn’t include a very valuable first rounder. Bergevin is well known for keeping quiet on trade rumours and potential deals so the fact that he swooped in and acquired Petry without warning is no surprise.

Jeff Petry has been tacking on the points before the trade deadline. (Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports)

Who is Jeff Petry?

Montreal sent a 2015 second round pick and a conditional fifth round pick to get the pending unrestricted free agent. What makes this deal a steal for Montreal is the fact they didn’t give up a first round pick or a top prospect for Petry’s services. Montreal has allowed the least amount of goals in the NHL despite not having the most stellar defence corps in the league and getting Petry can only strengthen the Habs’ blueline.

So far this season, Petry has 15 points in 59 games with a glaring plus/minus of -25. Plus/minus is a flawed statistic that doesn’t completely reflect on Petry as a player. Playing fewer minutes on a much better team will no doubt benefit Petry as he isn’t a top pairing defenceman and having one of the best goalies in the world in Carey Price behind him can only be a confidence booster. Montreal is set with P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov as the first pairing but it was the depth after them that was concerning. However, Nathan Beaulieu has stepped his game big time in recent weeks, looking like a true top four defenceman for the first time in his NHL career.

What he brings to the table

Petry is a rare but coveted right handed shot and considering Subban, Tom Gilbert and the barely used Mike Weaver were the only right handed shots prior to Petry’s arrival, Montreal’s defence finally has more balance. Add in Sergei Gonchar and Alexei Emelin to fill out the bottom pairings and things look a lot better on the Montreal blueline. Gilbert and Emelin play better without the pressure of being top four guys while the older Gonchar won’t be as relied upon to play heavy minutes at his age. Petry is more of a defensive defenceman which is a good contrast to a team featuring notorious puck movers. He will likely see time on the penalty kill and will help alleviate some of the pressure off the top pairing, who has played too many minutes as of late.

Bergevin does it again

This deal shows how Bergevin plays the GM game by his own rules. He keeps an eye towards the future but can also recognize an opportunity for his team. Last year, he stole top six winger Thomas Vanek for a second rounder and a prospect. Getting a top four defenceman at this time of year for only two picks was a savvy move as he bucked the trend to overpay at the trade deadline and got a useful player for a more than reasonable price. There is no guarantee that Petry will remain a Montreal Canadien after this season so it was fair as a rental.

After watching the Rangers get defenceman Keith Yandle and Tampa Bay getting Braydon Coburn, the move to get Petry looks even better. It is a real possibility that Montreal will have to play either of these teams in the playoffs and will need all the depth they can muster to get through the playoffs. This is the best team Montreal has had in years and getting a top four defenceman is proving to the fans that the team feels the same way and is willing to take advantage of this opportunity.

]]>http://thehockeywriters.com/how-the-montreal-canadiens-stole-jeff-petry/feed/0Petry Trade Should Help The Oilers In McEichel Sweepstakeshttp://thehockeywriters.com/petry-trade-should-help-the-oilers-in-mceichel-sweepstakes/
http://thehockeywriters.com/petry-trade-should-help-the-oilers-in-mceichel-sweepstakes/#commentsMon, 02 Mar 2015 16:15:22 +0000http://thehockeywriters.com/?p=154797It certainly was not the sort of return fans of the Edmonton Oilers were hoping for but in the end, no one should have been overly surprised to see Jeff Petry fetch what he did. Anyone who has watched the American blueliner play with any sort of regularity are well aware of the fact the Montreal Canadiens were essentially handed a gift by Craig MacTavish and company early Monday morning.

With that said, the fact the Oilers have been downright terrible during Petry’s tenure in Orange and Blue left him with little value on the trade market. To be perfectly honest, as of this moment, you would be hard-pressed to find a many defenceman who have been moved during this year’s NHL Trade Deadline who are better.

Writing Was On The Wall

Yet all MacTavish was able to pry out of the Canadiens was a 2015 second round pick and a conditional fifth rounder that could very well turn into a third round pick should Montreal go on another extended post-season run. Clearly a better deal was not there to be had and because of it, Edmonton lost the guy who has been their best defenceman for the last number of years.

A curious move for a team that has been starving for legitimate National Hockey League defenders for what feels like an eternity but that is exactly how things played out. So while the return may not be what anyone was hoping for, Petry’s departure will only help solidify the Oilers as a real contender in the Connor McDavid – Jack Eichel Sweepstakes.

The Coyotes And Maple Leafs Effect

With the Arizona Coyotes dismantling their roster at an almost freakish rate and having won just five of their past twenty-five games, Don Maloney has his team within in one point of Edmonton for last place in the Western Conference. The Buffalo Sabres continue to lead the way with a grand total of forty-three points, three more than the twenty-ninth placed Oilers, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are charging hard and hoping to make this a four horse race.

The Leafs are not only on a sixteen game road losing skid but like the Coyotes, David Nonis has had his squad in freefall mode for some time now. Toronto has won exactly four games since the calendar turned to 2015 and are also in the midst of selling off pieces at an alarming rate. That said, the Blue and White will likely have the best roster of the four down the stretch and will probably fall just short of “cracking” the bottom three.

At one point, the Edmonton Oilers appeared to be a lock to finish in the bottom two but that is no longer the case. Unfortunately this lineup has picked the worst possible moment to start collecting meaningless points in the standings but Jeff Petry’s departure combined with Edmonton remaining schedule will likely see that come to an almost immediate halt. Giving away a quality defenceman seems absurd but it may actually help this franchise secure a shot at bringing in that generational talent they have been unable to find over the last eight years.

Jack Eichel: destined to be the number two selection in the 2015 NHL Draft; American superstar potential (Photo: Dan and Margaret Hickling )

]]>http://thehockeywriters.com/petry-trade-should-help-the-oilers-in-mceichel-sweepstakes/feed/0Oilers Trade Jeff Petry to the Montreal Canadienshttp://thehockeywriters.com/oilers-trade-jeff-petry-to-the-montreal-canadiens/
http://thehockeywriters.com/oilers-trade-jeff-petry-to-the-montreal-canadiens/#commentsMon, 02 Mar 2015 15:20:37 +0000http://thehockeywriters.com/?p=154770On Sunday, Jeff Petry was a member of the last place Edmonton Oilers, a team looking forward to nothing but a high draft pick, and entrenched in what seems like an endless rebuild. Today, Petry joins the best team in the Eastern Conference, one equipped with the best goaltender in the league, poised to go on a Stanley Cup run. Decent day for Petry, I would think. The Oilers on the other hand, not so much.

(Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports)

Did the Oilers get a Good Return for Petry?

The package coming back to Edmonton for Jeff Petry is a second round pick, and a conditional fifth round pick, that could potentially become a third. Not the worst return. In fact, that’s probably exactly what pending UFA Petry should garner in a trade. But, considering what team’s have been throwing around in trades lately, did the Oilers once again the short end of the stick? He was a top-four defenceman in Edmonton. He ate a lot of minutes. He was worth more than what they got, right?

Braydon Coburn fetched a first round pick among other things. Antoine Vertmette was swapped for a first rounder. So was Andrej Sekera. Even 39-year old Kimmo Timmonen, who has yet to play a game this season, was traded for a first round pick. At first glance, it looks like Edmonton got fleeced. But has Jeff Petry been overvalued by Oilers fans who are just desperate to see good things happen to their team?

Petry is Better in a Smaller Role

Petry was in the wrong role in Edmonton. Too much was expected of him, and when a team is as bad as the Oilers, it’s hard to look good as an individual player. He should be a second pairing guy, even a third pairing on a great team. But he’s no scrub. Petry can play, and he will likely be a helpful piece in Montreal. When you look at what other teams got for equal or lesser players (at least how they are perceived), it’s hard to stomach the return Edmonton got for Petry.

But here’s the problem: He didn’t want to be an Oiler anymore. He wasn’t going to re-sign in Edmonton. He was going to hit free agency, and if the Oilers didn’t pull the trigger now, they would lose Petry for nothing. And if you’re seeing an uprising from fans now, imagine if Petry walked for nothing. Do other teams low-ball the Oilers because of a history of bad management? It’s possible. Montreal understood the Oilers position. They had to move Petry to try and get value out of him. Was it the best deal on the table?

The Oilers Did What they Could

Unless Craig MacTavish tells us, we won’t know what other teams offered for Petry. Clearly, not much was better than what Montreal gave, and perhaps they wanted to see him out of the conference. We don’t know what goes in those war rooms. MacTavish did what he could because he wasn’t going to be able to keep Petry. The Oilers have come under criticism for not trying harder to re-sign him, but he didn’t want to stay. And now, the Oilers, have somewhat of a reputation of developing players for other teams. Fair or not, that’s the perception.

But perceptions aren’t always right. People in Edmonton felt Petry was worth more, but maybe the rest of the league did not. He was perceived as the best asset the Oilers had to move, and that’s why people are disappointed he didn’t even fetch a prospect. Montreal is being praised for this deal. They didn’t have to give up Zach Fucale, who’s name had popped up in rumors. And they didn’t move their first round pick. They gained a depth defenceman who could help them in their quest for the Cup.

How will Oilers fans feel if they see Petry lift the Cup over his head wearing a Habs jersey? As they look at a very low second round draft pick, probably not so good. But the Canadiens did what they had to do as a contending team. The Oilers are not a contender. They don’t have the leverage, and when a player wants out, they have even less leverage. MacTavish did what he could. But I’m not letting MacTavish off the hook, because when looking at the recent market, it wasn’t a good return.

Teams have overspent immensely approaching this year’s trade deadline. It’s happened in the past, and it will happen again. The Habs didn’t let the market dictate what they offered for Petry. The Oilers pretty much got what he was worth, even though the curve suggested they could get more. But Montreal uses their own grading system. The Oilers can learn something from them.

]]>http://thehockeywriters.com/oilers-trade-jeff-petry-to-the-montreal-canadiens/feed/0A Super Captivating 2015 Stanley Cup Playoff Brackethttp://thehockeywriters.com/a-super-captivating-2015-stanley-cup-playoff-bracket/
http://thehockeywriters.com/a-super-captivating-2015-stanley-cup-playoff-bracket/#commentsSat, 28 Feb 2015 16:55:23 +0000http://thehockeywriters.com/?p=154199About this time of year is when all those college basketball fans go nuts about their NCAA bracket. What am I going nuts about though? My Stanley Cup playoff bracket of course and what it might look like in a few weeks. That got me thinking, if the playoffs started today, what would be the most captivating bracket in terms of terrific series and great story lines? The following is what I would love to see if the playoffs started today.

Western Conference Quarter Finals:

Nashville over Minnesota

The Nashville Predators are one of the most interesting teams in the league this year. All of a sudden with a new coach, this defensive juggernaut can score. They have led the tough Central division nearly all year. Unless you are a Wild fan, you want to seem them at least get through round one to take on a second division rival.

St. Louis over Chicago

Cole has the second best plus/minus among Blues defensemen (Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports)

The Chicago Blackhawks have been deep in the playoffs plenty of times in recent seasons. If you are not a Blackhawks fan, you are probably rooting for some new blood. This will be another great matchup in the Blues-Hawks rivalry, but for intrigue factor, the Blues advancing would be much more fascinating for a drama filled bracket.

Winnipeg over Anaheim

Who doesn’t love a good upset in their bracket? The Anaheim Ducks have always been a good pick to be upset. They lost as a two seed to the seventh seeded Red Wings a couple years ago and nearly lost to the Dallas Stars last year. A Jets team few predicted to make the postseason advancing to the second round is fun! Unless you’re a Ducks fan.

Los Angeles over Vancouver

While some upsets and new blood are nice, it is always more intriguing to have one of the consistent winning teams remain in the hunt deep into the playoffs. It is way more fun to watch David vs Goliath than David vs David. The Kings going for back-to-back and three in four years is incredibly alluring.

Eastern Conference Quarter Finals:

Montreal over Boston

The most historic rivalry in all of the NHL, Montreal and Boston will be another fun series. Ideally Montreal advances because well, they have the most intriguing matchups down the line given their circumstances.

Tampa Bay over Detroit

Sort of a new school meets old school matchup between the Lightning and Red Wings. While Detroit vs Montreal in round two would be an original six matchup, I would rather see a rematch of last year’s entertaining Lightning-Canadiens series. That was arguably one of the most entertaining sweeps of all time.

Islanders over Washington

While it would be fun to see the Capitals and Penguins go at it for the Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin playoff matchup not seen since 2009, Rangers and Islanders all New York series is more intriguing.

Rangers over Penguins

For pure context purposes, seeing the Rangers advance to play the Islanders in round two just sets up the best second round series.

Western Conference Semi Finals

St. Louis over Nashville

(Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)

The Predators have captured our attention this season and a matchup with the fellow defensive minded Blues would be a terrific battle. Both these clubs play a heavy game but the Blues winning would set up a terrific Western Conference final with….

Los Angeles over Winnipeg

The Kings advancing to the conference final would set up a terrific rematch series with the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference final. More on what makes that series interesting later in this article.

Eastern Conference Semi Finals

Montreal over Tampa Bay

Last year the Canadiens swept the Lightning in the first round and this would be a fun revenge series for Tampa Bay. A year ago these two delivered some incredibly exciting fast paced action with goals aplenty. Three out of the four games were one goal finishes, including an OT game to start the series and a one goal finish to Game 4. Montreal winning again sets up a great story line Eastern Conference final against…

Western Conference Final:

Los Angeles over St. Louis

(Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports)

Remember the 2012 second round series between these two teams? It was one of the more physically punishing six game series we have ever seen. The Blues still owe the Kings payback for that series and this would be an absolutely awesome conference final to watch. LA has what St. Louis has never accomplished and that is the Stanley Cup. However, for purposes of keeping the David vs Goliath story line alive, or at least the good guys vs the bad guys, the Kings advancing to the final would be more interesting.

Eastern Conference Final:

Montreal over Islanders

This would be another terrific series seeing Islanders goaltender Jaroslav Halak go up against his former Canadien teammates with a spot in the final on the line. The Canadiens went on a run to the conference final with Halak as their goaltender back in 2010. However with Carey Price as the heir apparent in net, the Canadiens traded Halak to St. Louis that offseason. Now with the Islanders, Halak vs his old mates would be juicy. Montreal winning and advancing though sets up an historic final matchup against the Kings.

Stanley Cup Final:

P.K. Subban was one of a few superstars to try out a mounted GoPro and showcase some nifty moves in a commercial, but would a mounted camera create unwanted problems for players and their routines? (Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports)

Montreal over Los Angeles

It is a rematch of the 1993 Stanley Cup final. Those Canadiens were the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup. If this rematch comes true, the Habs would have fan bases of 29 teams behind them in this David vs Goliath matchup. The Kings are the Kings of the NHL going for their third in the last four years. Montreal on the other hand was predicted by few to get this far despite having a solid team. Boy oh boy would this be an epic final.

With one trade already in the books for Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin, the Habs might very well be done this year’s trade deadline.

However, even though the Canadiens have addressed their need to get more robust for the playoffs by acquiring Devante Smith-Pelly from the Anaheim Ducks, they arguably haven’t boosted their scoring, nor have they gotten another defenseman, which could also be on their wish list.

Having already given up a high price to pay in Jiri Sekac for Smith-Pelly, here are five other bargaining chips the Habs could use between now and Monday, March 2, assuming they are still busy on the trade market:

5. Montreal Canadiens Draft Picks

The Habs don’t have all their 2015 draft picks remaining, but they do have one in each round.

Their fifth-round pick, which was part of the Mike Weaver deal last year, is going to the Florida Panthers, while they are receiving one from the Colorado Avalanche for the Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau-Daniel Briere trade from this summer.

Technically, they could still get the Anaheim Ducks’ fifth-round pick if Louis Leblanc plays 15 games for them this season. Of course, the Ducks have just 19 games left, and he’s played (checks stats) uh… zero games. So, yeah, the Habs have a single pick each round.

It may not sound like that much of a loss, but truth be told Brendan Gallagher was a fifth-round pick once upon a time (2010). He has over 100 points in the NHL. So was Dallas Stars center Jamie Benn (2007). He has (checks stats) a lot more. As a result, consider draft picks relatively valuable currency.

While Montreal would not likely give up its first-round pick in what is considered to be a particularly deep draft class, never say never. Of course, this is Bergevin we’re talking about, who managed to acquire superstar Thomas Vanek last year without giving up a roster player or a first-rounder. Maybe he can work some magic again.

4. Zachary Fucale

World Junior Championship-winning goaltenders don’t exactly grow on trees. Of course, with Montreal having three in its organization right now (Dustin Tokarski, Carey Price, and Zachary Fucale, all for Canada, no less), the Habs may have a machine of some sort out back.

With Carey Price taking his game to not even the next level, but a few ones after that, and him being just 27, the Habs may find Fucale, whom they drafted as the first goalie in 2013 (second round), relatively expendable. Other teams may meanwhile find him quite attractive (from a skill standpoint, I imagine).

Another thing Carey Price is? An exception to what is becoming a pretty good rule: Never draft the first goalie in an NHL draft. You’ll be wasting a high pick, with other goalies, who will eventually become even better, to be had later on.

Price was taken fifth overall in 2005 and has obviously panned out based on his performance this season and last. Fucale may yet still. However, when five of the last six Vezina Trophy winners either went undrafted or were taken in the fifth round or later, it makes one think:

Maybe Fucale can go the way of Al Montoya, Brent Krahn, Marek Schwarz, Pascal Leclaire, Jason Bacashihua, Adam Munro, Riku Helenius, Leland Irving, Chet Pickard, and other goalies taken in the first round last decade that never amounted to anything. Or he could become the next Rick DiPietro and amount to a punchline.

It’s all possible, including Fucale being traded next week.

3. Lars Eller

Montreal Canadiens forward Lars Eller – (Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI)

Forward Lars Eller’s struggles this season have been well-documented. He has just nine goals and 17 points (plus/minus -7) in 56 games. This after he scored five goals and 13 points in 17 games all of last playoffs. But, again, he scored five goals and 13 points in 17 games all of last playoffs!

Eller also has size (6’2”, 209 lbs), pedigree (13th overall in 2007), youth (25), and immense potential. Sure, he lacks offensive creativity, but a change of scenery could do his game wonders. At least, that might be what another team might think were they going to be negotiating with Bergevin in the lead-up to the deadline.

His stock isn’t particularly high, hence him taking the third spot on this list. However, he could be a steal for the right team and major trade bait for Bergevin.

2. Jarred Tinordi

Whereas Lars Eller has size and offensive potential, Jarred Tinordi is just the opposite. He has elephantine size. And, yeah, I guess, defensive potential. Supposedly, anyway, looking at his last game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, after which he got sent down to the American Hockey League. But, ooh, look, 6’6”!

There’s little denying Tinordi’s game isn’t where it should be for a first-round pick in 2010. A little patience, though, could work wonders for Bergevin and company. Of course, this is the same Bergevin that traded Sekac after just 50 games, so “patience” might not be in his vocabulary. “Little” may be. He works for the Habs after all.

If the Habs truly feel that Tinordi isn’t getting anywhere in his development, it may not be too long before he becomes totally unattractive trade bait to other teams. You can only distract people with the elephant in the room, especially those that can’t remember to play defense, for so long.

1. Michael McCarron

Physically, few come any bigger up front than Michael McCarron (6’6”, 225 lbs at 19, going on 20). And, according to at least one reporter, the Habs have already dangled him as trade bait in a potential deal for a shutdown defenseman.

“The Canadiens covet Petry to play with Alexei Emelin on a second defence pair in the wide-open East, where there is no clear-cut Cup contender threat. They may not want to deal their two young defencemen, Nathan Beaulieu or Jared (sic) Tinordi, in any deal for Petry. They reportedly have offered their 2013 first-round pick, winger Michael McCarron (25th overall) to the Coyotes for the shutdown D Michalek.”

A few things first: When you’re going to claim the Habs “covet” a certain defenseman, who shall remain nameless but is the worst in terms of plus/minus on the Oilers (-25), you had best get the rest of your facts right.

Emelin is currently injured and had been for a week before Matheson’s column was written. He also is technically a third-pairing defenseman, with Beaulieu having essentially leapfrogged over him on the team’s depth chart. Finally, misspelling Tinordi’s name is not exactly a way to gain credibility when reporting a rumor, which seems at this point to be completely unfounded.

That doesn’t change the fact that McCarron could be a pretty attractive chip, not just because of his size, but also because of his production this year. In 25 games with the London Knights this year he had 41 points. He has 21 points in 22 games with the Oshawa Generals. This isn’t to say that McCarron should be traded, especially not for Zbynek Michalek (good call not even attempting that first name), just that he could be.

Matheson did make one key point, that the East is wide open, and anyone can realistically come out of the conference this year. If the Habs really want to push themselves over the top, why wouldn’t they trade McCarron for a critical piece up front right now?

If you consider the Habs legitimate contenders, and, as the Eastern Conference leaders, they kind of are, Montreal’s window to win it all is probably five years from now… to be generous.

Tomas Plekanec will be an unrestricted free agent (and 33) at the end of next season. Price’s contract runs out in 2018, and, if he wins the Vezina and/or the Hart Memorial Trophy this year, he can probably write his own check, which means upwards of $10 million per season in an uncertain salary-cap landscape with a weak Canadian dollar.

Add in P.K. Subban’s $9 million cap hit, which he is admittedly deserving more and more, and that would in theory be $20 million for two players and not a lot of cash to go around for the remaining 21 on the roster.

That window? Probably more like three, four years maximum. This might be Montreal’s chance. So, as the saying goes, go big or (potentially) go home.